Second, it brings the hockey fan community together as one, like jeering an opponent with a funny chant or booing Gary Bettman or participating in the wave … OK, maybe not that last one, but you see our point.

Third, FLYING TEDDY BEARS!

We featured the Teddy Bear Toss events of the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors and Olimpija of Slovenia earlier this week as an appetizer. On Sunday afternoon, the kings of the Teddy Bear Toss, the WHL's Calgary Hitmen and their fans, brought us the main event:

Here's a view from ice level:

Pavlo Padakin's goal 13:27 into the first period gave the Hitmen an early 1-0 lead en route to a 4-1 win over Kootenay and signaled to the 16,912 fans in attendance at the Calgary Saddledome to make it rain with teddy bears.